Air diffuser



June 18, 1968 DENN|5 ET AL AIR DIFFUSER 3 Sheets-Sheet Z INVENTORSDon/44b IDEA/A118 JJMES 1% M/nwuz I W Jrranwzrs J u d Filed Aug. 1966 HW E .W H a June 18, 1968 E s ET AL 3,388,655

AIR DIFFUSER Filed Aug. 8, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet Z FILE.

' INVENTORS Dal/440 J2 DEX/AVIS Y J'flMt-s M Mic/A954 United StatesPatent 3,388,655 AIR DIFFUSER Donald I. Dennis, 69 Dennis Road,Jacksonville, Tex. 75766, and James H. Michael, 142 N. Mississippi RiverBlvd., St. Paul, Minn. 55104 Filed Aug. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 571,039 4Claims. (Cl. 9840) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air diffuser to beinstalled over outlets in a conditioned air circulation system. A framemember of gen erally rectangular shape is provided with a plurality ofrearwardly extending flanges. The flanges are provided with opposedregistering notches that serve to rotatably receive end portions ofvanes that are adjustably, rotatably disposed therein. One set of vanesare adapted to be adjusted in unison and to provide a complete closureof the diffuser when in one extreme position. Other sets, or set, ofvanes are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the first set andmay be adjusted in unison. The inner ends of the flanges are shaped toreceive complementary shaped locking strips which serve to removably,lockably, frictionally engage the end portions of each of the individualvanes.

This invention relates generally to air diffusers and is moreparticularly directed to air diffusers of the class having a pluralityof adjustable vanes for controlling the direction and quantity of airflow therethrough.

Briefly, our invention relates to a novel and improved air diffuserwhich is inexpensive and uncomplicated and may be more efficientlyconstructed, fabricated, installed and operated. The objectives of ourinvention are fulfilled by the use of a molded frame adapted to bedisposed over an air outlet which contains a plurality of movable vaneswhich are rotatably journaled in slots provided in the frame and whichare maintained in operative relationship therewith by the use of lockingmeans that is inexpensively fabricated and easily assembled toreleasably and lockingly maintain the vanes in operative rotata b'lerelationship with the frame.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a novel andimproved air diffuser apparatus.

A further object of our invention is to provide an air diffuser ofincreased operating efficiency.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an improved airdiffuser that may be easily constructed.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved air dilfuserthat may be simply and inexpensively fabricated and assembled.

A further object of our invention is to provide an air diffuser having asimple and uncomplicated construction.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an air diffuserthat is inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the artupon a consideration of the appended specification, claims and drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an air difluser embodying theprinciples of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along 2-2 on FIG. '1 of the drawings;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken along 3-3 on FIG. 1 of the drawings;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along 44 on FIG. 5 of the drawings;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 of the drawings;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along section lines 6-6 on FIG. 5 ofthe drawings; and

section lines section lines section lines 3,388,655 Patented June 18,1968 FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along section line-s7--7 on FIG. 5 of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in which like elements have beenidentified with like reference characters, our invention is showncomprised of a frame 10 having a plurality of vertical vanes 25rotatably disposed therein and a plurality of horizontal vanes 29horizontally disposed therein and suitable driving means interconnectingselected pluralities of the vertical and horizontal vanes forsimultaneous actuation thereof.

Frame 10 is shown having a laterally extending peripherally disposedmounting lip 11, a pair of opposed top and bottom rearwardly extendingflange members 12 and 13 and a further pair of opposed right and leftside rearwardly extending flange members 18 and 19. Flange members 12and '13 are shown having a plurality of opposed rearwardly openingregistering slots 14 and 15. Flange members 18 and '19 are shown havinga like plurality of opposed rearwardly opening, registering, slots 20and 21 respectively. Rearwardly extending flange members 12 and 13 and18 and 19 are also provided with a laterally extending lip portion 16and 17 and 22 and 23 respectively. Frame 10 is also shown provided witha centrally disposed vertically oriented and rearwardly extending flangeportion that is preferably molded integrally with the remainder of theframe member and is utilized, in the illustrated embodiment, to providemechanical stability and rigidity to frame member 10 and may, undercertain conditions, be eliminated.

A plurality of air directing vanes, 25, having a generallylongitudinally elongated shape and having coaxially disposed shaftportions 26 and 27 at the ends respectively are shown verticallydisposed intermediate opposed registering slots 14 and 15 in rearwardlyextending flange members 12 and 13 on frame 10. Each of the movablevanes, 25, is also shown having a shaft portion 28 extending from oneend thereof, parallel to shaft portions 26 and 27 and laterallydisplaced therefrom. A drive actuator membtr 33 that is alsolongitudinally elongated is shown provided with a plurality of spacedperforations for rotatably receiving the shaft portion 28 on vanemembers 25 to provide a unitary drive arrangement for simultaneouslyactuating vane members 25.

A further plurality of longitudinally elongated vane members 29, eachhaving a coaxially disposed shaft portion 30 and 31 at the ends thereof,are shown rotatably journaled in registering opposed slots 20 and 21 inrearwardly extending right and left flange members 18 and 19 on frame10. Each of the vanes 29 is also provided with a laterally displacedshaft portion 32 extending generally parallel to the axis of shaftportions 30 and 31 at one end thereof. A longitudinally elongated andperforated drive actuator member 34 is shown operatively disposed onshaft portions 32 of vanes 29 for simultaneous actuation thereof. Adrive lever, 35, for actuating vanes 29 is shown extending forwardlythrough the laterally extending mounting lip on frame 10* through asuitable slot 40 and is shown having an opening intermediate its endsrotatably journaled over shaft portion 31 on one of vane members 29 (asshown on FIG. 2 of the drawings) and a further opening at its rearwardend for engaging shaft portion 32 on the same vane for actuating vanes29 through drive actuator 34.

Movable vane members 25 and 29 are held in slots 14, 15, 20 and 21 byresilient U-shaped longitudinally elongated locking means 36 showndisposed on the rear peripheral edge of flange portions 12, 13, 18 and19 on frame 10. Locking means 36 is shown having a laterally inwardlyextending lip portion 37 that is adapted to engage with the lip portions16, 17, 22 or 23 to releasably, lockably retain locking means 36 inoperative disposition 3 to retain the shaft portions 26, 27, 30 and 31in rotatable disposition in the respective slots in the rearwardlyextending flange portions of frame 10.

The frame and vanes described above may conveniently be molded ofthermosetting material. The locking means may be fabricated from aresilient plastic material by a continuous extrusion process.

The operation of the apparatus is believed to be readily apparent to oneskilled in the art and may be seen to be facilitated by the unitarydrive feature which provides simultaneous operation.

It may be noted at this point that our air diffuser may be easilyfabricated in that a minimum number of parts are required. The ease ofassembly should also be apparent from the simplicity of the partsthemselves and the novel interrelationship therebetween.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fullyillustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new anddesire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable air diffuser comprising in combination;

(a) a frame member having a centrally disposed member, said flangemember having rearwardly opening slots in opposed registration, and alaterally extending lip adjacent the rearward ends thereof;

(b) a first plurality of longitudinally elongated vane members eachhaving longitudinally extending shaft portions at opposite ends thereof,said shaft portions being rotatably disposed. in opposed registeringslots in a first pair of flange members having opposed slots on saidframe;

(c) a second plurality of longitudinally elongated vane members eachhaving longitudinally extending shaft portions at opposite ends thereof,said shaft portions being rotatably disposed in opposed registeringslots in a second pair of flange members having opposed slots on saidframe;

(d) locking means, comprised of a longitudinally elongated member havinga generally U-shaped crosssection and an inwardly extending lip disposedto releasably engage the laterally extending lip on the flange memberson said frame when said locking means is disposed over the rearward endof said flange members, said locking means being in frictionalengagement with the opposite ends of at least one of said first andsecond plurality of longitudinally elongated vane members.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which driving means extending through theframe are connected to one end of one of the plurality of elongated vanemembers to adjustably drive each of the vane members.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which driving means are connectedintermediate at least two of the elongated vane members in at least oneof the plurality of vane members to simultaneously position each of saidvane members to a predetermined common attitude.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the locking means in frictionalengagement with the shaft portions of at least one of the plurality ofvane members engages said shaft portions on each side of the flangemembers on the frame member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,549 1/1960 Freitag et al98-40 3,035,504 5/1962 Cline et al. 98 40 3,125,944 3/1964 Radcliff98--4O 3,182,579 5/1965 Wiseman 98-40 ROBERT A. OLEARY, PrimaryExaminer.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner.

